The Day Is Finally Looking Up
by xxkatrina
Summary: [Post Fire and Water and contains episode SPOILERS] [Oneshot] Claire and Charlie's relationship was wrecked by their decisions. How can they get back together? PB&J and some Jate


**The Day Is Finally Looking Up  
**some spoilers from the episode Fire + Water

Claire had done it. She had listened to Charlie, even though that she currently felt that there was this wall that was blocking them both from each other. But still, she had done it. Her and Aaron had been baptized. Claire found herself walking over to Charlie. He was sitting on a rock, absentmindedly staring out at the ocean, touching his cheek where that bloody wound lay. Claire, at first, was completely reluctant. But then she wanted to at least thank him for mentioning the idea of baptism. She cleared her throat, signaling to him that she was standing there. When Charlie didn't move, she cleared her throat again.

"You know," Charlie said, his tone flat, "maybe if your throat is hurting then I should suggest you see Jack." Then he muttered bitterly, "Or Locke."

"Charlie...," Claire began hesitantly. "I...just wanted to say thank you. For telling me, that, well, Aaron needed to be baptized... I got baptized too, by Eko. So, um, thanks." Charlie nodded slowly, still facing the ocean. After a while, as Claire held on to her baby tightly, she realized that she couldn't take it anymore. She frowned. "You know, Charlie, I'm trying to talk to you!" He was silent. "Charlie Pace!"

"So now you come to me?" Charlie snapped, finally standing up. His eyes were blazing with fury. He walked toward Claire, and she, aghast, took a step back. "Now you finally just walk up to me and have a conversation...?" He frowned.

"Why yes, can't I do that?" Claire cried back. She was hurt, but she didn't show it. All she showed to Charlie was anger.

"Not if it's too late!" Charlie cried. "It's too late, Claire! I don't care anymore! I've stopped caring ever since you slapped me in the face. You know how I felt back there? I was humiliated in front of everyone on this bloody island! I said I was sorry, so I don't deserve to be treated this way! And now you come, when I don't feel anything but hurt inside, to try and make everything better? I'm sorry, Claire, but...you had your chance." He sighed, his voice calming. "But you didn't take it." He shook his head and said quietly, "You didn't take the bloody chance..." Charlie began to walk away, but Claire held onto his forearm.

"Charlie Pace," she said softly, shaking her head. Tears filled her eyes. "I just needed some time, okay? I'm sorry if you felt that way but...you had lied to me and I had trusted you!"

"But you just don't understand, Claire!" Charlie said, taken back. "I was the only one on this island that you had really, truly liked...! And you destroy our friendship, which meant the whole world to me, just because my past?" He looked at her as if she had betrayed him. "I thought that you had agreed with me when I said that our lives before this island didn't matter. And I'm not on that bloody heroine filth anymore, Claire... I'm the new Charlie... And you just have to believe me." He sighed and continued, "Even if you'll never let me hang around Aaron, just believe me... Please, it'll make everything better for me. And maybe, just maybe, I'll have a happy afternoon."

"I...," Claire began reluctantly. Charlie felt hope grasping onto his heart. But after a few moments, Charlie had lost it. Looking down, away from Claire, he tried to understand what had happened to his life. To him. Charlie walked away from Claire, walking along the shoreline. Claire was calling after him, but he didn't care. Not anymore.

**--------------------------------**

Jack looked over at Kate, then Charlie, then Ana-Lucia, then Sawyer, then back at Charlie. All five of them had confused expressions. What was going on with everyone today?

"Hey," Jack said, nudging Ana without taking his eyes off Kate, "do you think that you know what's been going on with her lately? We, uh, haven't been, well...talking anymore. Hanging out." The he grimaced at himself. What the hell was he saying? "You know what...? Never mind."

"I think her only problem is that I'm hanging out with you more than her," Ana replied absentmindedly, peeling a mango. She smiled and shrugged. "But that's just a guess. But I don't know what's up with that one cowboy."

"Oh, Sawyer," Jack mumbled, annoyed at hearing his name. "I'm going to see what's up with Charlie..." Ana nodded, distracted, and continued to peel the fruit.

"Hey," Jack said, sitting down next to Charlie.

"What in the bloody hell do you want?" Charlie said in between clenched teeth. "If it's about Claire, then I don't want to bloody hear it."

"Well, Charlie-" Jack began.

"And you know why?" Charlie cried, interrupting Jack. Jack gulped, shocked at his reaction. "She completely left me. She just left me standing there, open-mouthed, thinking what the heck did I do so wrong to make her feel this way, then she comes to me, tries to start a bloody conversation and makes everything just...wrong! And I don't understand what has been up with her lately! It's like she's a whole other person whom the only person who knows about is Locke." He faced Jack. "It's like Kate, Jack. You're the only one who truly understands on how her past is like, and how she tells you everything... What would you have done if she had abandoned you for someone else?"

"Charlie...," Jack began quietly, thinking of Sawyer and Kate, "the world isn't perfect... You can't always get what you want..."

"Don't tell me those things," Charlie growled. Jack frowned, becoming impatient.

"Yes, Charlie, the world isn't perfect!" Jack said. Then, a little softer, "Kate and I used to do everything together. Then she scrambled onto Sawyer. You know how I felt - feel - about that?" He nodded bitterly to himself. "Yeah, you guessed it. I feel the hurt that you feel." He stood up and walked away. Charlie's heart beat faster. What was becoming of him?

**--------------------------------**

"It's called being in a state of confusion," Charlie said, raising an eyebrow at Hurley. "And I don't know, mate... It's like, one second I'm completely infuriated at her, then the next moment I want to be her boyfriend or something."

"Dude, that sounds like real love you got there," Hurley said thoughtfully. Charlie opened his mouth to say something, but he noticed as a door to one of the locked rooms opened. He and Hurley dropped their jaws to their feet as Claire walked out of the room with Aaron safely in her hands. She was about to walk, but she saw Charlie and Hurley staring at her with the strangest faces.

"Oh." She looked around awkwardly.

"Uh, hey, Claire," Hurley said, not knowing what to say. Claire nodded, smiling awkwardly, and began to walk.

"Wait," Charlie said, standing in front of her. She looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with curiosity. "I, uh, have something to say... And it's not with anger... I just have something to say." He cleared his throat. "Well, um, I'm still open for that you believing me thing, Claire..." He said softly, with a warm smile, "So what do you say? You, me, friends again? And, uh...maybe I can even hang out with Aaron again...?" He smiled desperately.

"I've been looking for you all day, Charlie," Claire said slowly. Charlie's smile quickly faded. "But," Claire added with a grin, "that's a good thing." She embraced Charlie in a hug, Aaron still in her arms. Charlie's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I missed you. And Aaron," - she let go of Charlie - ", he needs his Uncle Charlie back. So yes. I forgive you. And I am so sorry about earlier today...and this week, for a matter of fact. I'm just really sorry. I was stupid, and-"

"No, no," Charlie said, shaking his head. His grin widened. "No need to apologize. I'm the one who should be apologizing. I'm sorry for being a jerk. For hallucinating and doing all of those hurtful things... I hope Aaron forgives me too, though." Aaron giggled. "I take that as a yes." They both laughed. Then suddenly, Kate and Jack walked into the living room-like place in the hatch, laughing and joking around. Charlie sighed, thanking Mother Mary, and knew that the day was finally looking up.


End file.
